Overview
- The reprocurement adds a Public-Private Partnership Commission to review rules and scoring, responding to Inspector General findings, with appointments by the governor and legislative leaders while MassDOT retains final selection authority and faces a Senate oversight hearing on March 24.
- Eighteen plazas will be offered in three bundles — western Turnpike, central/eastern Pike, and seven other sites — allowing bidders to pursue one, two, or all groups to broaden competition.
- MassDOT is shifting to a design-build public‑private partnership that integrates design, construction, operations, maintenance, and financing, guided by a base technical concept to enable clearer evaluations and invite innovation.
- The agency plans an industry day on March 25, expects to issue a request for proposals in the summer, and aims to bring recommendations to its board by late 2026 for a July 1, 2027 lease start.
- To maintain operations during the transition, MassDOT secured lease extensions through mid‑2027 with existing concessionaires such as McDonald’s and Gulf owner RaceTrac, with four Global Partners–run plazas on the same timeline.